[SATLUG] Video Drivers

[Daniel J. Givens]

pixelnate wrote:
> Even editing an xorg.conf or sources.list file is beyond the average
> computer user. As long as even this kind of minor editing of
> configuration files exists, linux will not gain mainstream attention for
> the desktop.

When was the last time you had to edit an xorg.conf by hand? Also,
sources.list can be managed with a GUI in most cases. If desktop linux
is the goal, then a distro that is aimed at that goal should be used.

> But to install software on Windows all you need to do is double-click
> the .exe file. To get rid of the app you use add/remove. You don't have
> to worry about dependencies, and you never have to compile anything.
> Linux packaging geeks really need to unite under a universal autopackage
> type of system that make software installation as easy.

Apt took care of dependencies long ago. Most distros have an Add/Remove
Applications GUI app of some sort to act as a frontend to their package
manager (yum, apt, yast2, etc). Most of these are even easier to use
than your typical installer for Windows. Once again, your desktop
distros will have all of the applications a typical user would want
either installed already or available in their package repository mostly
eliminating the need to ever compile an app from source.

> As of Ubuntu 6.10 (Dapper, i.e. the last release before Feisty), you had
> to recompile the kernel to get the latest nVidia drivers installed.

I never did. The only thing I recompiled my kernel for in the past three
releases was to add POSIX ACL support to NFS.

> It is push-button easy (for many things), but you're right it is not
> idiot-proof.

Take a look at what is available in the current generation of desktop
distros today. I think you will find that there are as many push-button
easy features as there are in Windows. They both lack in certain areas.
People are used to Windows because they use it at work, at home, at
school, etc, so they are used to dealing with programs not work. If they
download something that doesn't work, throw it to the side and find
something else. We just tend to be more stubborn in the Linux world in
that we can be fairly certain we can make something work, so we fight
and fight and fight to get the misbehaving apps to run. The quality of
the software available for Linux and for Windows is about on par. For
every incomplete Linux app, there are two or three for Windows. The main
difference is that you are going to end up paying for the Windows apps.

> This assumption is a bit simplistic, IMHO. If the needs of "most" people
> were really that basic, the email appliances of the late 90s would still
> be on the market. People want to be able to edit Word files, and view
> Powerpoint files and WMV files as well. Not to mention video games and
> basic retouching for their snapshots.

No, it's called marketing. Most people rarely use their computer at home
for more than email/internet/music/videos/simple document editing. All
of these things could easily be handled with a set-top box, especially
now that HD displays are becoming more popular. Already, consoles are
taking over the gaming industry. There are websites that allow you to
retouch photos. The general purpose computer is overkill for most
people. I guess the positive aspect of the mass marketing of general
purpose computers is that it makes the prices cheaper for people like us
that do use them to more of their potential.

Linux is not completely ready for the general public desktop market, but
I argue that Windows isn't either. I say this because I support regular
users who are not geeks and just want things to work for them. I know
how frustrated they get with Windows. They offer to pay me on the side
to fix their home computers. There is so much frustration with what is
being given to them. I doubt it would be much better if they were all
running Linux, but the community is changing that. Unfortunately, the
best solution is usually not the most used solution, so whether Linux
will ever gain widespread desktop adoption remains to be seen. As long
as I can run it for my desktop, I'll be happy.